tit for tat
noun phrase
: an equivalent given in return (as for an injury) : retaliation in kind
tit-for-tat
adjective
Examples of tit for tat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No other government has gone tit for tat with Washington on tariffs and export restrictions and emerged mostly unscathed.
—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
That map set off a broader redistricting tit for tat across the country, with Democratic and Republican states alike moving to redraw their congressional lines.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 18 Nov. 2025
Catastrophic insurance, not tit for tat What all this research suggests is that friendship is less about the exchange of favors and more about being there for each other when unforeseeable disaster strikes.
—Athena Aktipis, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Weddings are not tit for tat, everyone is different.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Remember, relationships aren’t competitions and not everything needs to be perfectly tit for tat, according to Dr. De La Garza Mercer—in fact, scorekeeping will only breed quiet resentment and leave you both feeling like losers.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 5 June 2025
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Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
That map set off a broader redistricting tit for tat across the country, with Democratic and Republican states alike moving to redraw their congressional lines.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 18 Nov. 2025
Catastrophic insurance, not tit for tat What all this research suggests is that friendship is less about the exchange of favors and more about being there for each other when unforeseeable disaster strikes.
—Athena Aktipis, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Weddings are not tit for tat, everyone is different.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Remember, relationships aren’t competitions and not everything needs to be perfectly tit for tat, according to Dr. De La Garza Mercer—in fact, scorekeeping will only breed quiet resentment and leave you both feeling like losers.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tit for tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tit%20for%20tat. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
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